Wendy Guillies Appointed President and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Wendy Guillies has been named president and chief executive officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. During her fifteen-year tenure at the Foundation, Guillies has been a member of the executive leadership team, worked directly with past CEOs, and served as the Foundation’s acting president and CEO since July 1, 2014. Under Guillies, the Kauffman Foundation will continue to implement its ten-year strategic plan to carry out Ewing Kauffman’s intent to improve educational outcomes, accelerate entrepreneurship, and support institutions and civic initiatives in the Kansas City region.Learn More

How Policymakers Can Bolster Entrepreneurship
Citing findings of the 2015 Kauffman Index: Startup Activity, which showed an increase in startup activity in 2015, reversing a five-year downward trend, the latest edition of the Policy Dialogue on Entrepreneurship suggests ways policymakers might build on the momentum. Written by Jason Wiens, Kauffman Foundation policy director, the essay outlines how public policies might improve the environment to bolster new business creation and growth.Learn More

Kauffman Founders School Completes Series on Venture Capital
The final installment in a seven-part video series that outlines steps entrepreneurs can take to find, approach, and negotiate with venture capitalists has been posted on the Kauffman Founders School. Venture capitalist Jeff Bussgang, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, recommends entrepreneurs research the mindsets, goals, and track records of venture capital firms before negotiating with them. The series features modules on how to stand out to an investor, how to know when you need venture capital funding, and what to watch out for when negotiating your deal.Learn More